


final destination

by Arlene0401



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Public Transportation, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-30 23:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17232920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arlene0401/pseuds/Arlene0401
Summary: What happens when you fall asleep on the bus, only to wake up at the terminal stop in the company of your gorgeous coworker.





	final destination

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chenziee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenziee/gifts).



“Wait for us! Please wait!” Eren bolted across the nearly deserted coach station, slush splashing everywhere in his wake. Levi was hot on his heels, shoulder bag hitting against his hip as he ran. Useless, absolutely useless, he thought. As if a single bus driver in history ever stopped to let some belated passengers in.

But whether by divine intervention or sheer coincidence, the bus driver glanced their way, and indeed decided to hit the breaks and open the door for them. Eren leaped inside and slithered right against the driver cabin. “Thank you so much, you must be a Christmas angel,” he wheezed and fumbled in his coat pocket for his card. Levi produced his card as well and muttered a thanks to the man.

“This is the last bus tonight, wouldn’t like to leave anyone in the streets,” the driver smiled and pulled out when they had taken their seats.

Levi frowned at his pants legs that were soaked all the way up to the knees, and the small puddle forming around his shoes. His toes felt like ice. The heavy coat had protected his upper body from the sleet, but his hair was dripping. Next to him, Eren pulled the scarf off his neck to provisionally towel off his own hair. 

“Finally on the way home. What a day.” He draped the scarf over the backrest of the empty seat in front of him.

Levi hummed an affirmative and looked out of the window. What a day. What a week. Basically the whole season since Thanksgiving had been busy at the men’s outfitter where they worked, but this week had been hell. And today, where they had spent several hours after closing time sorting and refolding garments that customers had crumbled and tossed everywhere, had taken the cake. At least they had been able to lock the doors to a good-as-new shop when they had raced off in the faint hope of catching the last bus.

Accepting the slightly sticky toffee that Eren offered, Levi finally allowed himself to relax a little. It was the nicest part of his work day, riding the bus with Eren. The brunet had been employed sometime around March and proved to be a hard worker and fast learner, more than willing to follow Levi’s lead and fulfill his standards. At first, it had been awkward when they discovered they took the same bus back home. But Levi had scolded himself silly to bury his nose in a novel and ignore Eren who lurched somewhere to the back seats like a scolded dog. The next day, he offered Eren the seat next to him, and slowly but surely started talking, not only shop talk but about books and movies and music, about friends and family and their private lives. 

Eren was probably the person whose company he enjoyed most, and certainly the person who knew him better than anyone else, his mother excluded. Every day they parted ways when Levi got off the bus, but Eren had described him how and where he lived in such detail that on his mental map he could follow his ride all the way to the end of line, then the short walk to his tiny apartment in an old but well kept building, with window sills full of vines and monsteras, money plants and ferns.

He had no idea why they had never ventured farther. Maybe because they already spent the majority of the day with each other, but something held them back. Sometimes, when Levi got up and gathered his things, Eren opened his mouth as if to say something, only to wish him a nice evening with a pained little smile. And Levi found himself longing to kiss that expression right off his face, only to nod a goodbye and hastily get off the bus.

The heating did a poor job of actually warming up the interior, and Levi hugged himself to safe what little warmth his own body provided. From the hip down it was a lost cause - he was honestly grateful his legs were so cold they had gone numb.

“God, you’re freezing, your lips are turning blue,” Eren said with honest concern in his voice and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to gather him close. “Here, let me warm you up a little.” Levi wanted to protest, because being pressed against Eren’s sopping wet coat would provide literally zero warmth, but then again why did his face suddenly heat up? The embrace was rather on the uncomfortable side and smelled vaguely of wet wool, but he leaned his cheek against Eren’s shoulder and closed his eyes. The bus rumbled through the night, and he felt Eren’s breath evening out.

The bus screeching to a complete halt and the engine shutting off with a rumble jerked them awake. “Terminal stop, gentlemen,” the bus driver announced, and rubbing his eyes Levi noticed they were the only passengers left.

“Oh shit, Fuck. I slept through my stop.” Levi cursed. “What now?”

“You’ll come with me, of course.” Eren stood up and rewrapped his still damp scarf.

“What? Why? Eren, I can’t -”

“You can, and you will. Come on.” Eren tugged on his hand to get him out of the bus, wishing the driver happy holidays in the passing.

“Eren, really, you don’t have to -”

“What do you want to do, Levi? There’s no more public transport tonight. And good luck trying to get a taxi or an uber out here at this time. Plus it would cost you a fortune. Really, it’s no big deal. You’re more than welcome.” A thought suddenly seemed to cross his mind. “Unless, of course, it makes you terribly uncomfortable to stay with me…”

“No, that’s not it! I just… I don’t know. I didn’t want to invade your privacy. And it’s Christmas tomorrow.”

“All the more reason to not leave you stranded in the cold! Don’t worry, you’re not a bother. Not you, not ever.” A pinkish hue crept on Eren’s cheeks, and Levi felt his own face mirroring it.

“Thank you.” He slipped his hand back into Eren’s.

They walked through the falling sleet that was intermingled with more and more snowflakes. For the first time in months the silence between them didn’t feel comfortable but tense and heavy with unspoken emotion, but at least the grip of Eren’s fingers was warm and secure.

Eren’s apartment was every bit as tiny as expected. A microscopic entranceway held a coat hanger and a shoe rack and led to the living room with kitchenette. On the far side was a door to what Levi supposed must be the bathroom. 

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Eren handed him a pair of sweatpants, socks and a t-shirt. “Here, get out of these wet clothes and take a shower. Towels are on the shelf in the bathroom.” 

“Eren, this is your place, you go first.”

“No, I’ll get the bed ready in the meantime.” Eren pointed at the pullout sofa. “I’m afraid there’s only bed, though.”

“Oh my God, there was only one bed,” Levi muttered, and whatever had remained of any tension between them dissolved in a mutual fit of laughter.

The hot shower felt divine, and Levi only left it with considerable regret. Eren’s clothes were way too large for him, the sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips and the t-shirt  
coming down to mid-thigh. But they were warm and comfortable, and he liked their scent. A little self conscious he left the bath, half expecting Eren to laugh at the sight of him being dwarfed by his clothes, but on the contrary Eren looked at him with an expression of utter adoration, as if Levi was dressed in his best three piece suit. 

“You know, I never thought I would say this about you but you look cute.” Seeing Levi’s eyes narrow, Eren fled to the bath, giggling.

The couch, now pulled out and covered in clean flannel bedspreads, looked terribly inviting. Levi was just contemplating if he should dive right in or be polite and wait for Eren, when he heard a yelp from the bathroom.

“Eren? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing! Er, just the water is a little cooler than expected!”

Levi groaned. God, he was really the worst. He had used up all the hot water with his marathon shower and now Eren was left with a cold shower!

“Ah, it’s okay, really, I don’t like hot showers in the evening much anyway!”

“I’m so sorry! Is there anything I can do to make it up for you?”

“No, it’s alright! Just go to bed!”

“Which side?”

“I like to sleep on the window side, if you don’t mind.”

Smiling to himself, Levi crawled under the blankets on the window side. The least he could do for Eren was warm up the bed for him. The exhaustion of the long day finally caught up with him, and he dozed of to the soft hissing of the shower and Eren’s muttered curses.

An ice cold foot nudged his leg, and he shot up with a shout.

“What the fuck?”

Eren lay next to him, teeth chattering.

“Shit, you’re a fucking popsicle. Come here, I’ll warm you up.” Levi scooted close and wrapped his arms around him. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, it’s… more than okay,” Eren looked a little overwhelmed and very happy.

They snuggled up, and gradually Eren warmed up and stopped trembling.

“I’m kind of glad I missed my stop,” Levi said.

“Me too.”

“Who knows, with a bit of luck we might be snowed in tomorrow.”

“Oh my God, they were snowed in,” Eren answered in his most dramatic voice, causing them to laugh again.

**Author's Note:**

> wooo! I finally posted something after nearly two months! Please validate me and tell me I done good :3


End file.
